'Restaurant Impossible' Episode on Horsham Eatery Airs

Celebrity Chef Robert Irvine instantly had three "blahs" on his "radar" upon stepping into Horsham-based Edibles Restaurant & Pub.

Irvine hated the name of the family-owned eatery. He hated the carpet. And the walls, ceiling and surfaces were dirty.

"The place looks like, well, nothing," Irvine said during the hour-long episode on the Food Network's "Restaurant Impossible," which aired Sunday. 

And that was before he tasted the food, all of which he described as "awful."

Irvine, calling the restaurant's former Philadelphia staple "a poor excuse for a Philly cheesesteak," taught cooks Steven Hurley and John Hurley Jr. how to make a sandwich using fresh sliced steak, seasoned with pepper and accented by caramelized onions and provolone cheese.

He also showed the kitchen staff how to use its prized possession: A $20,000 smoker for more than just pulled pork sandwiches. Irvine smoked a chicken with paprika and salt, covered it in BBQ sauce and served it to the family along with French fries and corn on the cob rolled in parmesan cheese. 

"This is food your guests are gonna love," Irvine said. 

During two days in May, Irvine and his "Restaurant Impossible" team changed the restaurant's name to Hurley's American Grille, revised the menu and updated and modernized the interior decor. 

According to The Food Network's Web site, "Restaurant Impossible" works to "turn the tide of a failing restaurant" with $10,000 and two days for renovations, menu updates and staff retraining.

Owner John Hurley Sr. told Patch in May that the main reason for the "Restaurant Impossible" help was because he had not made any money in four and a half years. During the episode, it was revealed that Hurley was losing between $3,000 and $4,000 a week and had lost $600,000 last year. 

Working to turn that around, HGTV's Lynn Kegan, and Restaurant Impossible's construction manager, Tom Bury, painted the dining area royal blue and installed paneling on the walls. Carpeting was removed and booths were installed.

They also incorporated enlarged photos taken of aircraft at the nearby Delaware Valley Historical Aircraft Association into the interior decor.

During the show's reveal, John Hurley Sr. and his wife, Butzy, seemed happy with the new look.

"We always wanted booths," John Hurley Sr. said. "We always wanted a floor that we didn't have to vacuum."

Patch will be following up this story later this week to see how the "Restaurant Impossible" changes have helped the Hurley family and Hurley's American Grille. To make sure you don't miss news and updates on this story, or other stories about Hatboro and Horsham, subscribe to our free newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow @Hatboropatch on Twitter.